Cashner, Ohlendorf team in Padres win

Saturday afternoon marked a first for Darren Balsley in his nine years and one month as the Padres pitching coach.

Before every game, Balsley meets with that day’s starting pitcher and catcher. The strategy session is called the “pitcher-catcher meeting.” Every team in the major leagues holds much the same meeting daily.

But Balsley added a twist Saturday.

Padres manager Bud Black called it the first “pitcher-pitcher-catcher meeting.”

“This was an unusual situation,” continued Balsley. “In reality we had ‘co-starting pitchers’ with different styles. So I thought, let’s get them and Baker together at the same time.”

The ‘unusual situation’ began with the recent idea to transform Cashner from an eighth-inning set-up reliever into a starting pitcher during the season.

That meant Cashner being cycled into the rotation Saturday with the knowledge that he would likely work no more than three innings. That also meant that the Padres needed someone ready to pick up from Cashner, then pitch deep into the game. Enter Ohlendorf.

Cashner worked 2 1/3 innings, allowing a run on two hits and two walks. He struck out five with more than a dozen of his fastballs being clocked in the 100-102 mph range – including three, triple-digit rockets fired past Corey Hart and Ryan Braun for third strikes.

But after 47 pitches, Cashner was done.

Again, enter Ohlendorf, who the Padres signed 10 days ago after he was granted his release from Boston’s Triple-A team.

The 29-year-old worked the next 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks. He struck out four and threw 67 pitches. And he was credited with the win.

Part of the reason Balsley had both co-starters attend the pitcher-catcher meeting was their different styles – which made it something of a challenge for Baker.

Cashner is a classic power pitcher with a riding fastball. Ohlendorf’s 92-mph fastball has about the same velocity as Cashner’s changeup. And Ohlendorf’s fastball sinks.

“Baker deserves a lot of credit today,” said Balsley, who wasn’t factoring in the catcher’s timely hitting. “He had to go over scouting reports on every hitter with two different types of pitchers. That’s not easy. But it also wasn’t easy for Milwaukee’s hitters.”

“One thing we had going for us today was a very intelligent game plan based on the situation,” said Baker. “We melded two divergent plans into one. And both pitchers executed.”

“There was no doubt that Ross was going to pitch going into that game,” said Black. “We had two guys piggy-backing and they did very well.”

The Padres started Cashner with the knowledge that as soon as he came out of Saturday’s game he was going to be optioned to Double-A San Antonio to further develop his tools as a starter as well as extending his pitch count.

So why start him Saturday?

The Padres wanted to observe Cashner as he worked from the stretch and used his slide step with runners on bases as well as seeing how he approached the game as a starter.

“I know I have to be more efficient as a starter,” said Cashner. “You don’t want to be a 100-pitch, five-inning starter . . . that kills the bullpen. “I’ve got to work on that and controlling the running game from the stretch as well as adding to my pitch count.”

The Padres figure Cashner should be back and an active member of the starting rotation by the end of June. Until then, they need a fifth starter. And Ohlendorf moved to the front of that line with Saturday’s performance.

“They haven’t said word to me about that,” said Ohlendorf. “I was happy just to be able to get a win like that. I went out there figuring my job was to pitch deep into the game.”

Ohlendorf had made 10 starts with Pawtucket.

But the combination of Cashner and Ohlendorf only got the Padres through two outs into the seventh. They were followed by Luke Gregerson, Joe Thatcher, Dale Thayer and finally closer Huston Street, who worked a perfect ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season and his first since coming off the disabled list on June 5.